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Cancer

About 22,000 people in South Carolina learn they have cancer each year. And more than 9,000 people in our state die from cancer each year. But those numbers do not have to be so high.

Many cases of cancer may be caused by people eating unhealthy food, not staying active, or using tobacco. You can make changes to help stop cancer. If you find cancer early and get the right care, your chances of living longer or getting rid of cancer are often better.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women of all races and ethnic groups in South Carolina. White women are the most likely to get it, but African-American women are more likely than white women to die from it. Men can get breast cancer, too, but it is 100 times more likely in women.

If you detect breast cancer at its earliest stage (Stage 1), there is a 99 percent rate of living for five years. As cancer spreads to other parts of the body, there is less chance of living.

All women should do monthly self-checks to know their breasts and spot changes. If you do not know how to check, ask a health provider to show you. Your health provider should do a check at your yearly exam as well.

If you find a lump, a skin change or other breast changes, see your health provider right away. Fluid coming out of your breast that is not normal should be checked, too.

Your chances of having breast cancer go up as you get older. Many experts and cancer groups believe mammograms (breast X-rays) can help find cancer early as women reach middle age. Not all people agree, but Hollings Cancer Center says women 40 and older should have a breast X-ray once a year.

Don’t smoke. There may be a link to breast cancer. Women who start smoking at a young age may be most at risk.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death of men in our country. African-American men are most at risk. They have the highest prostate cancer death rate in the world. And African-American men in South Carolina have the highest prostate cancer death rate in the U.S.

A man’s prostate gland is found between the bladder and the penis. As he gets older, cancer and other prostate problems are more likely.

Prostate cancer reacts best to treatment when caught early. If the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate gland, the chances of living five more years is 99 percent.

By age 50, a man should start talking with his health provider about whether to start prostate cancer screenings. A man with a brother or father who has had prostate cancer is even more likely to get it and might want to start screenings earlier.

Screenings can involve a physical test and a blood test called a PSA test.

You should watch for signs of prostate cancer. These include:

Weak flow of urine or a flow that stops and starts.

Frequent passing of urine (especially at night).

Trouble urinating.

Pain or burning during urination.

Blood in the urine or semen.

A pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn't go away.

While these problems may have other causes, you should talk about them with your health provider.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer death in the U.S. for all ethnic groups. In South Carolina, around 3,400 people are told they have lung cancer each year, and 2,700 people die of lung cancer. In South Carolina, men are two times more likely to get lung cancer than women, and two times more likely to die from lung cancer. But lung cancer still kills more women in our state than any other cancer.

The biggest cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. It is believed to cause at least 8 out of 10 lung cancer cases. The more you smoke, and the longer you smoke, the greater your chances of getting lung cancer. Quitting or even cutting back can help you lower your odds.

Many smokers find it is hard to quit. People in South Carolina can get help with the S.C. Tobacco Quitline. Reach the free service by phone at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and online.

Lung cancer symptoms often start after cancer starts to grow. If you notice any of these changes, get checked by a health provider right away.

Lung cancer symptoms

Chest pain that does not stop

It’s hard to breathe

Wheezing

Lung infections that return

Bloody or rust-colored sputum

Hoarseness

Swelling of the neck and face

Pain and weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand

Fever for no known reason

MUSC’s Thoracic Cancer Program has a team of experts to treat lung cancer. To learn more or plan a patient visit, contact the nurse navigator at 843-620-0015.

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer can be found early or stopped before it even starts by having a screening done. More people have been getting checked out in the US over the past 20 years. As a result, less people are dying from the disease.

There is still room to improve. Screening should start at age 50 and continue to age 75 for most men and women. In South Carolina, more than 3 out of 10 people over the age of 50 have never had a colorectal cancer screening.

Colon cancer or polyps might not cause symptoms that you notice, especially early on. Screenings can find polyps (growths that are not normal) so they can be taken out before they turn into cancer. Screenings can also find cancer. The earlier you can find and treat cancer the better.

There’s more than one way to detect colorectal cancer:

Stool test. You can get a stool sample at home and send it to your doctor’s lab so it can be checked for blood. It is good to do this once a year.

Check of the rectum and lower colon by a doctor using a scope. You might do this once every five years, or more if you are high risk. This check is called a sigmoidoscopy.

Colonoscopy. This check lets the doctor to use a scope to look closely at the rectum and the entire colon. You might have this once every 10 years or more often.